Straight Ahead:


Animator: Peter Simpson
Backup Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fBNSiLPVAY


Pose-to-pose:


Animator: Sam Johnson
Backup link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwQf2pfH9pw


Straight ahead and Pose-to-pose are two different methods for creating an animation.

Straight ahead is when an animation is made frame by frame, with the artist creating the drawings and compositions as they go. This is easier for beginning artists, as you can just start off without any planning. It's also good for objects with more random movements, like fire or water, that are hard to predict As shown in the video example, this method is also used for rotoscoping, as preplanning isn't needed. The major downside of straight ahead is that it's inconsistent, so size, proportion, or position may vary in ways the animator doesn't plan on.

Pose-to-pose is when several important frames or "keyframes" are pre-drawn, and then the gaps are filled in later. This is more commonly used by professionals in animation, as it gives you more control of the scene's actions. It's also helpful in companies, where a lead animator can create the keyframes, and the rest can be filled in later by someone else.